Why I decided to get a Chromebook instead of a new Windows 8 PC

You may read this headline, and think that I’m crazy. And quite possibly I am. But in the midst of all the current Windows 8 hype that is happening right now, I’ve decided to get Samsung’s new $249 11.6-inch Chromebook – a cheap netbook that many people think runs an impaired, half-baked OS that requires always-on cloud connectivity in order to be half-way decent. $249 for a computer that won’t run Windows apps, that only has 16GB of on board storage, and that is essentially a glorified web browser.

Well, at least let me explain myself.

The Chromebook is practically free when you consider what comes with it.

Google is bundling 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage for two years with the new Samsung Chromebook. Regularly priced at $4.99/month, that’s a value of $119.76.

So basically, you’re getting $287.76 worth of services for $249, plus a free laptop. Granted, I don’t currently pay for extra Google Drive storage, and I have never purchased a WiFi pass on any flight. If I never bought the Chromebook, I probably wouldn’t either. But you just can’t deny that – mathematically speaking – this is a fantastic deal.

I already live in the Google cloud.

As a longtime Android user, and one of the first Gmail beta testers back in the day, I have long lived in the Google cloud. I keep track of my bank accounts and credit cards with Google Docs spreadsheets; every presentation I have ever given had an accompanying Google Docs slideshow; all word processing takes place in Google Docs. I use Google Calendar to keep track of Facebook events, birthdays, holidays, and my own personal schedule. I use Gmail to manage mail from five different email addresses. All photos I take are automatically uploaded to Picasa through the Google+ Instant Upload feature. My entire music library is available through Google Play Music. I use Google Voice on my computer just as much as I use my actual cell phone to place calls and send texts. Basically, my entire life is organized and accessible to me through Google.

Granted, there may be a rare time when I need access to the full Microsoft Office suite, but Chromebooks can actually do that, too. InstallFree Nexus with Microsoft Office is a great web app I found that remotely connects you to a computer that’s running the full versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint – so anything that you can do in those programs on a regular Windows machine, you can do on a Chromebook. You can even open Office documents with that web apps directly from the Google Drive web interface.

And for those rare times when a website refuses to function because I’m not running Internet Explorer, Cloud Internet Explorer by Ericom is another web app that does the same thing.

For image editing, there are tons of great web app options, including the built-in web editor in Picasa. Third party web apps include PicMonkey, Pixlr Editor, and many more.

You actually can get stuff done when you’re offline in Chrome OS.

Google has developed offline versions of Gmail, Calendar, and Drive, so you can still work with emails, documents, etc., even when you’re not connected to the internet. The Amazon Kindle and Google Books web apps let you read books offline, and I imagine that Google is working on similar functionality for Google Play Magazines.

In fact, there’s an entire section in the Chrome Web Store dedicated to offline apps, and it includes everything from productivity apps to games. There are note taking apps, a secure shell, world clocks, Angry Birds, solitaire, news readers, The New York Times, and much, much more. There’s also a built-in media player for anything you’ve downloaded to your SSD or your SD card, along with a very basic native photo editor. As it turns out, you don’t have to be tethered to an internet connection all the time, after all.

I’m still waiting for Windows 8 PC prices to come down, and for the market to mature.

If you’re in our forums regularly, then you might have noticed my recent dilemma: I really like the idea of the Microsoft Surface RT, but if I’m going to get a Windows 8 PC, I don’t want Windows RT. The fact of the matter is this: I ultimately can’t replace the full Windows desktop with Windows RT or Chrome OS, because there will always be one or two things for which I need the full desktop. Video editing comes to mind, along with the need to root my Android phones and tablets. Even though I edit videos maybe twice a year, and I root Android devices maybe five or six times a year, I still need the full desktop in order to effectively accomplish these things. Therefore, when I buy a new Windows machine, it’s got to be running full Windows.

And right now, the market is just a bit overwhelming, and the prices are too high. For example, for my next Windows 8 machine, I want a touch screen, at least 128GB SSD, and 4GB of RAM. The idea of being able to convert it into a tablet also seems really cool. However, the closest thing that comes to that – which I’ve been able to find, at least – is the Lenovo Yoga 13, and at $1000, I think it’s a little pricey. (I’m also not sure that I like the idea of pressing down onto the keyboard when it’s in tablet mode.)

Cheaper laptops, however, either seem to not have a SSD, have fewer gigs of RAM, or don’t come with a touchscreen. Plus, the market is still saturated with old Windows 7 machines, and it’s a bit overwhelming to have to sort through all of those just find a few that do run Windows 8, but don’t meet my other criteria. In other words, I just have to wait for the market to mature.

This is why a Chromebook seems right to me.

My current Windows 7 PC was originally a Windows Vista PC, so that tells you how old it is. And I have a feeling that it has started its descent towards death. However, since I’ll be able to accomplish 99.99% of my daily computing tasks on my Chromebook, I will be able to safely keep my old Windows machine powered down most of the time, thereby extending its life indefinitely until I finally find a Windows 8 PC that I think is worthwhile for me. Essentially, I’ll only have to power up my current PC when I need to edit a video or root an Android device.

The idea of Windows 8 let’s-not-call-them-Metro apps is also really cool, but there are only a few thousand choices to pick from right now. I’m pretty sure that anything a Metro app can do right now, an Android app can do just as well – and probably even better. That’s because the new Windows OS just hasn’t matured yet, and app development is still such a new thing. Between the native apps on my Android tablet and the web apps on my Chromebook, I don’t have a feeling that I’ll be yearning for new Windows apps anytime soon.

And did I mention the cost? For $249, you get an 11.6-inch laptop that most reviews say is reminiscent of a Macbook Air, with a keyboard and trackpad that’s very comparable and just can’t be beat by similarly-priced Windows netbooks on the market right now. You also don’t have to purchase any extra anti-virus or office productivity software, because it’s built in already. And Google promises that the Chromebook will only get better and faster over time, as updates come automatically and frequently. (As a former CR-48 beta tester, I can vouch for this.)

For me, the Chromebook seems like the logical, right choice. Unlike Google’s new ad campaign, it might not be for everyone – especially if you’re a heavy gamer or video editor. But even then, it still might make a good second, living-room-couch computer.

Now, the waiting game begins. I ordered the machine on Amazon a week ago, and I still don’t have an estimated shipping date. That just goes to show how popular this little machine is turning out to be.

About the Author

John Freml is the editor-in-chief at Pocketables. His articles generally focus on all things Google, including Chrome and Android, although his love of new gadgets and technology doesn't stop there. His current arsenal includes the Nexus 6 by Motorola, the 2013 Nexus 7 by ASUS, the Nexus 9 by HTC, the LG G Watch, and the Chromebook Pixel, among others.

Sounds like I could do most of what I do on a daily basis on this device. It couldn’t be my only computer, but I could easily see it as one of them.

Randy S

Just for the record, buying something so that you get something that you otherwise would not have bought is not sound financial thinking.

That’s like a dealership having a “buy one car, get another free” sale, and you buying one even though you don’t have a license to drive. You had no interest in spending thousands of dollars on a car in the first place, but the fact that they bundled another one (which you admittedly have no use for), duped you into doing exactly what they wanted you to do.

There are other reasons to get a Chromebook, but leading off with “you get $287.76 worth of services for $249, plus a free laptop even though you would’ve never spent even $249 for the services themselves” is a terrible argument.

Randy S

It’s like that sound financial planning commercial where the woman is buying all the clothes just to get the discounts. Yeah, you saved $287.76, but you spent $249 to do it.

Again, no knocking your decision – the Chromebook was probably a better deal for you than a new laptop – I’m just trying to point out that you shouldn’t buy something just to get a deal on something you otherwise wouldn’t spend any money on. :)

http://www.pocketables.com John Freml

That’s definitely not the primary reason I’m getting this, but it’s definitely icing on the cake. And even though I didn’t mention this in the article, I was actually considering purchasing Google Drive storage and migrating from SugarSync to that – this makes it a much easier decision.

Ken

John, are you going to post a review soon? I am tempted to get one of these for my mother for Christmas. We gave her a Kindle Fire for Xmas last year and that FINALLY moved her to using the Internet a little. The small screen and touch interface don’t work well for her (eyes and arthritis). She wants to do things like order groceries at PeaPod and online shopping. She could do this with the Kindle Fire, but again eyes and arthritis.

If this is easy enough to use for a total newb, and can get my mother on the web regularly, I am sold.

http://www.pocketables.com John Freml

Yes, I’m planning on it – if it ever gets shipped to me! I ordered late, so I’m probably on the bottom of the waiting list.

Ken

Great! Can’t wait. Thanks John!

Nate

For those interested, I ordered mine from Best Buy last Sunday evening and it arrived on Wednesday. At the time, they were showing a ship date of 2-4 weeks.

Ken

Oh hey, I went to checkout that app for Office you mentioned. Not good. Look at this:

That sucks! I think OnLive has said they’re working on version compatible with more OSes, so maybe they will get something similar going for ChromeOS soon.

Aaron Orquia

I agree with your sentiment, although the Chromebooks won’t work well for everyone, they are a good value proposition for some. I used the CR-48 (original Chromebook) for about a year, and everything you said about Google services rings true.

Since I am a heavy Google user, the Chromebook’s integration of Google services works quite well. Also, since I already use Google Docs for documents, Gmail for email, Google Calendar for my calendar, I wasn’t really missing anything. In fact, when I use my desktop I probably spend about %95 of my time in Chrome, so a Chromebook was perfect for me.

Not only that, my Chromebook included 100MB a month of free 3G data, which helps with the WiFi/ data connectivity reliance.

It certainly won’t work for everyone, but I actually do like the idea of ChromeOS, and if it happens to fit your use case, it works wonderfully.

Calob Horton

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it, John. I don’t know if I personally could really give up a more traditional OS like Windows or OS X for one that is heavily reliant on the cloud (even though it can be used offline), but it is an intriguing product nonetheless – especially at this price point!

MPS

The author certainly has made the correct decision.

Windows Surface RT is overpriced, VERY SLOW, and has no apps. It is nothing more than an oversized Windows Phone 8 that can’t make phone calls – and it can’t run Windows apps, only Metro Apps of which there are precious few.

The bottom line is that the $249 ARM Chromebook is 3.34 times as fast as the $599 Windows Surface RT (inc. the flat cover-keyboard), and the $499 Intel Chromebook is 5.9 times as fast. And both Chromebooks have a superb and widely acclaimed keyboard and trackpad.

It just doesn’t make any sense to buy the grossly overpriced and under performing Windows Surface RT tablet which locks you into Microsoft’s RT app store and which lacks applications, and will continue to do so for at least a couple of years.

hisuwh

I like the idea of the chromebook but I thinks its come along too late really. I dont see why you would get one over a tablet (besides price). A tablet certainly makes a better “living-room-couch computer” as you say.

Lynn

Getting a tablet would be a better idea. And with a keyboard accessory you’re set for everything you want to do with a chromebook.

http://www.pocketables.com John Freml

I’ve had the ASUS Transformer Prime (TF201) and Infinity (TF700), and they really weren’t suited for word processing or working in Word Press. The WordPress app for Android is awful, and the web interface doesn’t function correctly in any Android browser I’ve tried. None of the Android office apps really come close to native Google Docs on the web, especially with simple word processing and spreadsheets. So actually, a tablet – even with a keyboard – isn’t best for all situations.

This is really a wrong idea. Chrome books are just horrible, awful, stupid idea of absorbing the entire internet! They’ll neither be better than windows nor mac. Can you bring a chrome book to people who lives in African, where there is no internet. I mean in some places.

Johnny Bravo

first off you are very ignorant. second, you are very ignorant. better is a relative term. thing is, unless you use a special program, everybody clicks on their browser of their choosing to get on the internet. Sure, it isnt for everyone, but for the vast majority that spends their time on the internet it is ideal. for those that have the technological expertise to read instructions, you can go ahead and install linux to complete the times you would need a full os. it is extremely simple, yet somehow some people still cant work a chromebook.
and for Africa, google already has a solution in progress, project loon